Snow White And Little Red
by AngelWithACrookedHalo
Summary: On the way to her grandmother's house, Ruby Rose gets lost in the forest, and stumbles upon a worn cottage, where a princess is in hiding from an evil queen. Initially for White Rose Week 2018, will be an ongoing thing
1. Encounter

"Oh... Was it a left? ... Or a right?"

The middle of a forest was not an ideal place to get lost. Even moreso when it happens to be the enchanted Emerald Forest. Stories of shifting trees, witches that ate children, and of a tower impossible to enter by normal means. Very few entered the Emerald Forest, save for traveling merchants, bandits, and one teenage girl. This particular girl was currently standing at a crossroad path, one hand to her chin as she turned her head back and forth to look at the two options before her.

She thought aloud once more. "Left, right? Or...right, right?"

She tapped her boot on the dirt path and grumbled under her breath. She was beginning to regret taking that detour to a wild strawberry patch. Despite having made the trip she was on countless times before, she could never remember the exact path through the forest. The girl pulled back the hood on the bright red cloak draped around her shoulders and wiped her brow with the back of her long black sleeve. She spent a few more minutes grumbling to herself before kneeling down to pick up the wicker basket she had set down earlier. When she straightened up, the girl alternated pointing down each path before her.

"One, two, one, two, I choose you," she said, her hand stopping on the leftmost path. She shrugged and pulled the hood back over her black and red hair. "It's probably the right way. If not, then it's just the longer way," she said before starting down the path she had chosen.

Humming to herself, the red-hooded girl walked calmly through the forest, lazily watching the occasional animal that crossed her vision, or munching on the occasional cookie she grabbed from her basket. It wasn't until the sun began to set that she realized she had taken the wrong path. It was too late to head back to that fork and try again. The girl sighed and began looking for any large stumps or large overgrowth patches on the side of the path she could spend the night in. It wouldn't be the first time she had to camp out on her journey. The trip usually took a day or two.

As she was scoping out her makeshift campsite, a gleam of white and silver caught her eye through some brush ahead. The caped girl stopped and stared, squinting her eyes for a better look. Sure enough, something a vibrant white dipped and moved erratically in a low cluster of bushes. The cloaked girl had seen quite a few different kinds of wildlife in the forest, but nothing that color before. Almost as if she was entranced, she walked towards the shining strange white-colored thing.

She was very close now, and could start to make our details. It was definitely living. But not like any animal she had seen before. Suddenly, a loud snap halted her in her tracks. She had unknowingly stepped on a particularly large and brittle stick. At the same time, the white object froze. The hooded girl all but held her breath as the white thing rose up from the bushes it was in.

The girls eyes widened and she took a short but sharp inhale. Standing in front of her was a pale girl about her age. Her White and pale blue dress was torn in some places, but still held a regal look to it. Her hair that was pulled up into a side ponytail was white as snow and the hooded girl realized that's what had caught her attention in the first place. This new strange girl stared at her for just a few moments before spinning and running away into the trees.

"H-hey! Wait!" the cloaked girl called before running into the trees after her.

Tracking the other girl wasn't hard. Although she got a head start, the girl in white clearly wasn't used to the uneven ground and dead wood to avoid. The girl in red was able to keep good pace, slowly catching up . Suddenly, the teen in white took a sharp turn, hurdling over a fallen tree. When the cloaked girl passed the same obstacle, she found herself on a large dirt path. She stopped for a moment, out of breath.

This was a part of the Emerald Forest she had never seen before. The trees were closer together, almost blocking out the nearly set sun. The brush was gnarled and seemed to be reaching out to her, ready to grab and pull her back into the uncharted woods. A nearby slam grabbed her attention, and the hooded girl spun in the direction of it.

Just off the path sat a small wood cottage. The girl almost didn't see it, for the forest seemed to be trying to reclaim it. After completely catching her breath, she approached the cottage curiously. At just a few feet from the door, she stopped when the old wood cracked open, and a sliver of white was revealed.

"Stay back!" a female voice yelled, "I-I have Dust! And I know how to use it!"

The cloaked girl cocked her head slightly. "Yeah, so do I. Most people do," she said. She reached into her basket and pulled out a small vial filled with a red powder. "See? It's good defense against something like wolves!"

There was a pause before the girl in white called out again. "Who sent you? Was it my father?"

"...Huh? No one? Well, I guess my dad did. I was supposed to be on my way to my Grandma's," the cloaked girl responded bluntly. She held up her basket. "I got some supplies and food for her here. But, uhh... I guess I got lost. And found you and now I'm here."

She was met with silence in response. She looked up and saw through the overhanging branches the once orange sky was slowly turning darker and darker blue.

"So, umm, my name's Ruby! Ruby Rose!" the cloaked girl called, "My dad and sister call me Little Red, but you can call me Ruby. Umm, if I could, I'd like to stay in your cottage at least for the night. It's getting dark, and if I don't have to camp that'd be great."

More silence. Ruby shifted her weight, unsure what to do next. She sighed and let her shoulders droop. This didn't seem like it was going anywhere. Ruby turned her gaze out to the path in the direction she emerged from. Maybe she could get back on track if she started now.

The door from the cottage creaked again, and Ruby's attention was drawn to it. The girl in white was visible again, watching Ruby warily from the threshold. Now that she was closer, Ruby was able to get a much better look at the strange girl. Her skin was pale, and as almost as white as the hair on her head. Her bangs partially obscured her ice blue eyes.

Ruby faltered a bit as she watched the girl watching her. She was _beautiful_.

"Well, hurry up and get over here, dolt," the girl called out, "or are you going to stand out there all night?"

Like a record scratching to a stop, Ruby felt her trance shatter. But a little rudeness wasn't going to stop her. It was well known fact creatures roamed this forest at night. The locals called them Grimm. Ruby was lucky enough to never encounter one, but their roars caused her to have more than one sleepless night on her trips. Ruby headed to the cottage and was let through the door, the other girls eyes on her the whole time.

When the door shut, the girl in white immediately left to light some dust lamps, bringing the cozy wood interior to life.

"So... What's your name?" Ruby asked, rocking on her heels.

The girl finished lighting the final lamp before taking her time to cross the small living area to a small sink at the back. Finally, she spoke. "Weiss."

"Weiss...?" Ruby asked, waiting for a last name. When it became apparent that wasn't going to happen, she tried to strike up conversation. "Well, Weiss, what brings you out here? Do you live by yourself?" she asked.

"No. Klein lives here. He's just letting me hide out," Weiss deadpanned, grabbing a cup from a cabinet. She paused to fill it with water and walked back to Ruby, thrusting the cup at her. "Here. Water."

Ruby took the cup, and Weiss turned to sit at a small dining table. As soon as she settled herself, she went right back to watching Ruby. Ruby, who was starting to feel uneasy with all the staring, took a long sip of her water.

"Is there something on me?" Ruby asked, taking a moment to check herself for abnormalities, "you've kinda been staring at me for a while and..."

"That hood. Huntsman wear those," Weiss said sharply.

Ruby pulled the red hood off with her free hand. "Oh no, I'm not one of them. I'm just a girl. With a grandmother who can't get into town occasionally, promise."

Weiss narrowed her eyes. Ruby scratched the back of her head.

"Okay, my mom was one. She worked for the late Queen some years ago. I thought she was cool and made one of my own. In her memory," Ruby explained, "Hers was white. I guess I just like red more."

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Weiss let out a long exhale and leaned back in her chair. "The late Queen, Willow Schnee... was my mother."


	2. History

"Your mom was _**who?!**_ " Ruby asked, nearly dropping her cup.

She suddenly became hyper aware of how she held herself and moved quickly to stand up straight and proper. Weiss must have noticed, because she scoffed and waved a hand dismissively at Ruby.

"Yyyyeah, you don't need to do that," she said flatly.

Ruby cleared her throat nervously. "S-sorry..." She rocked back and forth on her heels, now one hundred percent unsure of how to hold herself around Weiss.

Weiss motioned for Ruby to sit, and Ruby quickly took the other seat across from her, setting her basket and cup on the table. She shifted in her chair, trying to sit up as straight as possible. Weiss leaned on one hand, still keeping that stare on Ruby. Ruby found her face heating up and began fidgeting with the hem of her skirt under the table. Just as she was about to break the silence, Weiss spoke, causing her to jump a little in her chair.

"Hey, Red. It's fine. There's no royal formalities out here," her tone was softer this time, "Not anymore."

"Princ-Weiss..." Ruby started, but she was cut off.

"The woman my father remarried. Cinder. You can't tell me you don't know about that," she said.

"Oh yeah, it was my first trip into the castle! My sister was a bodyguard for her during the ceremony," Ruby grinned.

She got a long eye roll in response. "Yeah, that. Whatever you know about her is wrong. That woman cares for nothing but power, and herself." Weiss paused to let out a sharp exhale. "It was always belittlement, scoldings, and punishments. Out of jealousy. Because she has it in her head I'm prettier than her. Of course, Father never noticed."

Weiss paused again, this time idly adjusting her bangs. It was partially obscured from the angle, but Ruby could see a deep scar cutting over her left eye.

Weiss folded her hands in front of her and stared at them forlornly. "One day, she snapped, and sent two of her best Huntsman to kill me. A man grey as steel, and a woman with hair like the forest. They chased me way out here. The woman caught up with me first. But unlike the man, she said she didn't want to kill me. I don't know what she did after sparing me, but she left. And I ran.

"On my second day in this godsforsaken forest, I found Klein. He let me stay here to hide, in case they come back for me." The solemn expression on her face quickly changed to anger as she glared up at Ruby. "And I swear, if you tell your Huntsman of a mother or sister where I am...!" Weiss's voice wavered as she tapered off.

Ruby shook her head. "Not that I could if I wanted to. My mom was killed on a mission for the late queen ten years ago. And I haven't seen Yang in months."

She caught a glimpse of some mixed emotion behind Weiss's eyes as the anger melted off her face. She averted her gaze and took a deep breath. Slowly, she stood from the table. She mumbled what sounded like an apology before taking the water cup she had given earlier.

"It's late, and you have to be tired. You can stay the night here, Red. I'm not about to kick you out into a forest of Grimm," she said, taking the cup to the sink.

Ruby stood as well, holding her hands in front of her and giving a polite bow. "Thanks, Weiss," she said, straightening back up, "if it helps you feel any better, I do have some combat training. My mom and sister taught me some basics. I'll keep you safe in return for letting me stay the night."

She watched Weiss once again silently watch her and could have sworn a pink hue rose to her pale cheeks.

"I-I won't need your help, you dolt. I have Dust, remember?" she said, folding her arms.

"Yeah, but two is better than one," Ruby smiled.

She tilted her head as Weiss muttered something under her breath, trying to catch her words. Without hesitation, Weiss crossed the room and began extinguishing the lamps one by one. When she got to where Ruby was standing, she held out a hand to her.

"Well come on. Don't just stand there," she said impatiently.

Ruby blinked and reached out to take Weiss's hand, only to have her retract it as she began walking again. Ruby withheld her slight disappointment and followed the estranged princess to a door on the far end of the living area. Weiss opened it and lit a lamp just inside the doorway. In this new room along with some modest furniture were two beds across from reach other. The one to Ruby's right was made of some dark wood that had seen better days. A deep red blanket last over the sheets, made perfectly. The other looked much newer and made from the same wood as the other. It's blanket was a baby blue, and was also made just as neatly. Four fluffy pillows lay at the head, and nestled between them was a small black and white toy dog.

"You can sleep in that one," Weiss said, pointing to the bed to the left.

"Oh, uhh, thanks," Ruby said, starting for it.

She was stopped abruptly by a tug on her cloak. She turned around to face Weiss, who had grabbed it.

"Give me your cloak first," she demanded, "it's covered in dirt and bits of leaves. You're not going to dirty the sheets with it. I'll wash it for you in the morning."

Ruby blinked a couple times, a hand instinctively going up to protect her prized piece of clothing. She knew Weiss had a point; the chase through the thick wood did mess it up. She made a small noise in the back of her throat as she undid the clasps.

"Please be careful with it," she said, handing the cloak over as if it were made of glass.

Weiss made a small "hmph!", but took care folding it. "Of course I will. I'm no klutz," she huffed, "and leave your boots on the floor too. Absolutely no shoes in bed."

"Yes ma'am," Ruby mumbled, reaching down to remove her black and red boots.

She left them at the foot of the bed before sitting down on the mattress. The bed was a lot more plush than she had expected. She watched as Weiss dimmed the lamp and took her cloak around to the other side of the room and placed it on a short but long wooden dresser. Ruby became gradually more confused as Weiss approached her from the other side of the bed.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked, watching Weiss set her platform boots next to Ruby's.

Weiss looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Going to bed? I'm tired," she said slowly.

Ruby must have been giving her a strange expression, for Weiss put her weight on one leg and a hand on her hip. "This is my bed."

"You said I could stay here though."

"...Yes. It's called 'sharing'."

Without a moment's hesitation, Weiss pulled back the blanket and settled herself in on her side, her back to Ruby. Ruby, on the other hand, was much more careful on laying down under the blankets. She, too, put her back to the other girl and made herself as small as possible. She didn't realize how tired she was until her head hit the pillow. She stifled a rather large yawn and pulled the blanket up to her face. Moments later, she fell sound asleep.

* * *

"You're telling me _what?_ "

Queen Cinder's private quarters was a dimly lit room. Only four fire lamps lit the large area, bathing everything in flickering orange light. On the floor, two Huntsmen sat kneeling, their heads bowed low to their queen before them, their gray and green cloaks covering their heads and eyes. The queen had slowly turned around, her blood red gown flowing around her body as if unrestricted by friction.

"I must have misheard you," the queen said in a voice so cold it sent goosebumps over her subordinates skin, "because I did not just hear you have failed in your mission."

The one in green raised her head, her red eyes meeting the gold ones of her queen. "Cinder, Your Majesty, I assure you, it was-!"

"Silence, Emerald. I don't want excuses," Cinder snapped. Her voice quickly took an eerily honeyed coating. "I want to know why you two are here, and why that little brat isn't dead."

This time, the other Huntsman spoke. "If Emerald didn't lose her, we wouldn't have split up. And Your Majesty would be sitting pretty on that throne without another worry," he sneered.

Emerald shot him a glare before returning her head to its bowed position. "And if Mercury didn't blow our cover in the first place, we wouldn't have had to chase her into the Emerald Forest," she retorted.

"Enough. I will not stand for this bickering. Rise, the both of you," Cinder held out her arms and her Huntsmen stood on command. She looked between them before speaking again. "Leave, now. I'll give you work later. Perhaps something simpler. Clearly killing a teenager is too much to ask of you."

Without a word, Emerald and Mercury bowed to their queen before departing the chamber. Cinder waited a couple moments before turning back around, now facing a large and ornate silver mirror hanging on the wall. She reached out and gently slid her fingertips down the reflective surface, causing the mirror to begin to glow a soft gold.

"Mirror, tell me something. Tell me who is the fairest of them all?"

The glow around the mirror brightened and swirled around the surface, like if smoke was trapped behind the glass. A chorus of masculine and feminine voices spoke, and the mirror flashed with each syllable. "...It is Weiss Schnee..."

Cinder's lips furled at the answer. "And where is she?" she asked the mirror again.

The mirror's smoke swirled again, and it gave her another answer. "... Emerald Forest..."

Cinder growled and clenched her fist against the glass. Exasperated, she removed her hand from the mirror. Immediately, the smoke and glow began to fade, until the mirror returned to it's dormant state. It was true, this magic mirror could tell her names of anyone she asked or described. But the Emerald Forest was enchanted and managed to repel her magic. And she found it infuriating. However, Cinder managed to hold her composure. Turning away from the mirror once again, she rose her voice and called out a name.

"Xiao Long."

The door to her chamber opened, and a female Huntsman in gold armor entered the room. She kneeled down before Cinder, the tattered ends of her yellow cloak sweeping around her shoulders.

Cinder smiled at her top bodyguard. "I have a job for you."


	3. Peace and Quiet

Ruby woke up slowly, blinking away the sleep before giving a yawn. She briefly wondered why she was so comfortable before the memories of yesterday returned. She stiffened up and slowly turned her torso to see if Weiss was next to her still. The spot beside her was empty and Ruby let out a breath of relief. As she sat up and stretched, a small part of her was disappointed to not catch the princess sleeping.

A light melody drifted through the closed bedroom door. Ruby got out of the bed and followed it to the living area. Weiss sat on the floor in front of a wood tub, singing softly over the quiet splashes from her chore.

 _"There's a quiet place, in my embrace. A Haven of safety where..."_

For the second day in a row, Ruby felt like she was under a trance. She found herself lost in Weiss's singing. She closed her eyes, and didn't even notice herself leaning heavily on the bedroom door, until it opened further, the hinges squeaking loudly. Ruby quickly scrambled to stay upright as she clung to the door.

The sudden noise silenced Weiss, and she turned her torso around to face her guest. Ruby stood unflatteringly, her hands on the doorknob and her legs splayed out, barely holding her up. She laughed nervously and quickly righted herself.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," she said, scratching the back of her head. Once again, she was subjected to that ice blue stare. But this time, Ruby didn't feel it was as cold as the last few. "What song was that?"

Weiss turned back around and stood, pulling Ruby's red cloak from the bucket.

"A lullaby my mom used to sing to me," she replied.

She shook the fabric gently to get water out of ideas before carefully wrapping it over her arm. She stared walking to the front door, and Ruby followed her.

"Can I hear more?" she asked, opening the door for Weiss.

Weiss looked at her, mild surprise on her face. She shrugged and headed out the door. "I suppose. I'm a little out of practice."

"Are you kidding? You have a beautiful voice!" Ruby smiled.

She watched Weiss'' cheeks glow a light pink before she looked forward and walked quickly ahead of her guest. Ruby followed her around the side of the cottage to a little clearing from the overgrown brush to a short clothesline. She began singing again, a different slower tune as she prepared the cloak to be hung up.

 _"Some believe in fairy stories , and the ghosts that they can't see, I know that I could do so much..."_

Ruby tried to help, but found herself more fixated on Weiss's voice to be useful. She stayed close enough to help, just in case. A slight rustling pulled her attention away, and a small doe and two rabbits appeared from the bushes. Almost right after, three birds twittered cheerfully and flew around the two girls. One of them hovered in front of Weiss with a clothespin in its feet. Weiss immediately stopped singing.

"Ugh, EVERY time!" Weiss huffed, waving the bird away, "I can't sing out here without attracting all these animals!" Soon after, any animal that had come out of the bushes returned to the forest.

Ruby picked up the clothespin the bird dropped. "I...think they were trying to help you," she said, handing it over to Weiss.

"They're just a nuisance! Besides, that only happens in fairy tales!" Despite being irritated, she still took extra care in pinning up Ruby's cloak. Once the task was done, she cleared her throat and faced Ruby. "Do you want any breakfast?"

Exactly on cue, Ruby's stomach made a loud rumble. She hurriedly held her stomach, her cheeks burning up. Weiss raised an eyebrow at her, and then did something Ruby didn't expect.

She smiled. And she laughed.

"Why didn't you say something sooner, you dolt?"

Weiss motioned with her head for Ruby to follow her back into the cottage. Dutifully, Ruby did follow her, but took a look back before crossing the the threshold. Nothing was on the scraggly path, but she could feel a pair of eyes on her.

"Are you coming in or not?" called Weiss.

Ruby spun around and shut the door, hurriedly crossing the living space to Weiss. "Ah, yeah, sorry!"

Weiss had a bowl with a few bags in it under one arm, and was currently reaching up to grab a skillet off the wall. Without missing a beat, she artfully set the skillet on the stove, lit the fire under it with a small vial of dust from hey pocket, and began measuring out her bagged ingredients into her bowl. Weiss turned to Ruby, setting her supplies down next to the oven.

"You do like pancakes, right?" she asked.

Ruby lit up. "Yeah! I used to make them with my mom and sister all the time! Let me help! Pleeeease!"

Weiss smiled and rolled her eyes. "Alright. Just don't get in my way."

Together, Ruby and Weiss prepared their meal weaving between each other seamlessly, as if they had been doing it their whole lives. As they cooked, Weiss hummed a happier tune, which only uplifted Ruby and further made the process go by easier. Finally the two sat down at the table. They had just about to start to eat when the door to the cottage flew open and slammed against the wall.

"Weiss!"

A short and stocky man stood in the doorway, panting heavily. His brown eyes were wide with panic, and a bag of various greens and meats lay strewn by his feet.

"Klein?!" Weiss stood quickly, almost knocking her chair over in the process. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

The man who was apparently called Klein ran as fast as his legs could take him to Weiss's side. "M-miss Weiss! I saw the cloak of a Huntsman outside!" He turned to Ruby and rudely pointed at her, making her lean back in her chair. Klein blinked and his eye color changed to Red. "You are not taking 'er back, Huntsman. I swore to keep 'er safe 'ere!"

Ruby threw up her hands. "No! Wait! I'm not a-!"

Calmly, Weiss placed a hand on Klein's shoulder. "It's okay, Klein. I'm safe. She's not a threat."

Klein eyed Ruby warily before shutting his eyes and letting out a long, drawn-out exhale. "If she trusts you, than I shall too," he said, looking back at Ruby. His eyes were brown once again.

"I didn't mean to impose for so long," Ruby said, nervously scratching at the back of her head. "Thank you for allowing me to stay. I'll be out of your way soon enough."

She caught a glimpse of Weiss out of the corner of her eye. Weiss's face had fallen and looked almost... sad? It lasted only a second before she smiled and bent down and gave Klein a large hug.

"I'm glad to see you back again, Klein. I was getting worried about you," she said. Klein returned the hug and was released a few moments later. Weiss gestured to her chair. "Join us for breakfast. Ruby and I worked hard on it."

The three sat and ate, and talked about their lives. Ruby recanted how she stumbled upon Weiss and followed her back. And in turn, she learned Klein was a nature-loving man with seven distinct personalities. Occasionally he would go into the kingdoms busy walls for supplies and work as a part time miner and blacksmith.

After the meal was complete and the dishes were done, Ruby stretched and patted her full stomach. "Thanks for the hospitality, guys. But I should probably be on my way,"

"Leaving so soon?" Klein asked from the table.

"Yeah, I should probably get this Dust and stuff to Grandma's. She was low, and I don't want her to run out," Ruby replied.

"I'll grab your cloak. It should be dry by now," Weiss said, heading for the door.

After she left, Klein's face fell as he stared Ruby down. "You won't tell where the princess is hiding, I hope. You do know her reasons for being here," he said in a low voice.

Ruby nodded quickly. "Oh, never, promise. Scouts honor," she crossed an X over her heart with her finger as she spoke, "I don't want to put her in danger. She's very nice. Besides, I really like her." Just a second passed before she felt her cheeks begin to burn. She stuttered and stumbled over parts of words for a moment before Klein chuckled.

"It's all dry," Weiss announced her return to the cottage, holding Ruby's neatly folded cloak in her arms. She crossed the room and handed it off to it's owner.

Ruby fastened her cloak around her shoulders and smiled at Weiss. "Thanks again for letting me stay. I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, well... you weren't terrible company, I suppose," Weiss said, shifting her weight to one leg.

"Maybe you can come visit me sometime?" Ruby asked. She suddenly realized exactly how she had said that and quickly added, "A-and Grandma! Me and... and Grandma. O-or Dad."

Weiss gave her a soft smile and Ruby felt her heart momentarily stop.

"Yeah. I'd love to," she said.

In an attempt to hide her rapidly spreading blush, Ruby grabbed her basket of supplies off the dining table and turned to the side. "Well, uhh... s-see you later, Weiss."

Ruby took long steps across the living area, pausing before the door to turn back and wave to Weiss and Klein. The two were waving back and smiling, even though the one on Weiss's face seemed pained. Ruby exhaled and turned back, opening the door only to quickly shut it halfway and freeze in place.

Standing just outside the door was a tall woman in gold and brown armor, a yellow cloak around her shoulders. Her golden hair melded in with the cloth almost seamlessly. Her arm was up as if she was in the process of knocking on the door. Ruby almost dropped her basket at the sight.

"Yang?!"


	4. Turning Gears

"Aaaaaand we're romping around the forest again because...?"

Far off any main trails, two Huntsmen traversed patchy mostly untouched parts of the Emerald Forest. The one leading stopped to turn around, his gray cloak swishing around and snagging on a bush.

"Because, Emerald, we're going to prove we're not useless," he said, rolling his eyes. He tore his cloak free and grabbed the coiled rope that was hanging from his side. "You have yours, right?"

Emerald sighed and moved her green cloak lazily, revealing the rope she also had. "I don't think this is going to work like you want, Mercury."

Mercury scoffed and lazily swung his coil back and forth. "It will. I've caught these things before. You just gotta be skilled," he paused and smirked. "So YOU might have trouble."

Emerald glared at him. She had half a mind to throw the rope at him and leave. If only Cinder hadn't been so harsh with them, she wouldn't have agreed to be on this trek with him in the first place.

Not far off, a low growl that turned into a long howl resonated through the trees, and the two looked in the direction it came from. Mercury grinned.

"And there's our pack. Let's grab us some Beowolves," With that, Mercury stared off in the direction of the howl, Emerald only a few feet behind.

* * *

Ruby was still frozen in place, her brain going into overtime to process what was going on. Yang looked equally confused and for a couple more seconds, stayed silent. Finally, she broke the silence.

"...Ruby?" Yang let her arm drop to her side. "What are you doing here?"

"I, uhh... I got lost on my way to Grandma's yesterday..." Ruby gasped and covered her mouth. "Is she okay? Did she send you?"

"No, no. But I'm sure she's okay. She's tough," Yang answered. She shifted her weight and put a hand on her hip. "I'm actually on an important job right now."

"For the-" Ruby cut herself off, remembering her sisters occupation. "...For The Queen?"

"Yeah, exactly. You really should get to Grandma's and hunker down for a little. It's a lot more dangerous in this forest than usual. Did word reach you and Dad yet?"

Ruby shook her head. Yang crossed her arms. "The princess, Weiss, is trouble. I'm going to tell you this because I want you to be safe. One day she just went crazy and killed a whole bunch of civilians and castle staff with Dust."

Ruby's eyes widened as she took in the news. Weiss, who sheltered her from a potential Grimm attack, washed her cloak and cooked with her was a killer?

"She even attacked Her Majesty herself. Reports say she fled here, to the Emerald Forest." Yang finished.

That didn't add up. It was the other way around, wasn't it? Ruby didn't fully understand why, but the more Yang spoke, the angrier she got. She frowned and said, "You're wrong, Yang. Weiss is a good and kind person. She wouldn't attack anyone without very good reason."

"Ruby, I know you mean well, but you haven't seen her every day since the Royal Wedding. She's dangerous,"

"Those are all lies! Weiss has been nothing but kind to-!"

Ruby had shouted louder than she had intended to, and had surprised herself with the volume. Instantly, she shrunk down, finding it hard to look her sister in the eyes. When she did, she had noticed her eyes were narrowed. Not in anger, but Ruby felt dread beginning to pool in her stomach. Yang only made that face when she was in trouble.

The door opened a bit more, and Klein appeared at Ruby's side. "Excuse me, is everything alright?" he asked, looking between the girls.

Yang's eyes widened momentarily before they focused on the new man in front of her.

"Is this your house?" she asked.

Klein nodded. "It is. Klein Seiben, miss Huntsman. Can I help you?"

"I apologize for the commotion," she said before giving the royal salute, "My name is Yang Xiao Long, Huntsman and part of the Royal Guard of Her Majesty Queen Cinder. I'm on a routine job making sure civilians of the Emerald Forest are safe."

"We're quite alright. Save for the occasional wandering Grimm. Miss Rose here was just taking shelter from some Boarbatusks in the area," Klein put a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

The contact grounded Ruby, and she stood up straight, holding her basket in front of her.

Yang nodded slowly, "Well, thanks for looking out for my sister. The Guard owes you a debt for that." she gave him a small formal bow, "I'll be on my way then. Sorry if I interrupted your daily schedule," She turned her body to leave. "Ruby. Go to Grandma's right away. Watch out for Grimm."

Ruby stayed silent as she watched her sister walk away from the cottage. Her shoulders drooped and she sighed. That was stupid of her, getting angry like that. She made a mental note to apologize later.

Klein shut the door and shook his head. "They've never reached this far before..." He looked up towards the bedroom. "You can come out, it's okay,"

Slowly, Weiss peeked around the corner of the room, her eyes wide and posture low. It was a much different Weiss than Ruby had come to know. The timid Weiss was only around for a moment before she straightened up and regained her composure. Ruby quickly bounded to Weiss, an apology forming on her lips. She didn't get to start, as Weiss's gaze turned cold.

"You brought your sister, part of the queens guard, here?" she asked sharply.

"No! No, Weiss, I swear I didn't!" Ruby pleaded, "I-I would never!"

Weiss stared her down for a couple seconds, but for Ruby, it felt like years. Eventually, Weiss let out a huff and looked to her right. "...I believe you. I haven't known you long, but you're not like that."

Ruby let out an audible sigh of relief that gained a raised eyebrow from Weiss. She fidgeted with her basket, fighting off the strong sudden urge she had to pull Weiss into a hug. Not that it would get her anything...probably.

"Umm... Yang-my sister-said I should get to Grandma's right away. If I know her, she'll be on her way there too. To make sure I made it safe," Ruby let out a quick sigh. "You and Klein have been really awesome. I don't want to overstay my welcome."

Weiss shook her head quickly and opened her mouth to say something, but Ruby interrupted her. "I'll finish my errand and as soon as Grandma says she's good, I'll head right back here. I said last night I'd help keep you safe, and I want to extend that offer. For as long as you need."

Weiss blinked a couple times and her cheeks took on a rosy hue. She folded her arms and made a small noise in the back of her throat. "...Promise?"

"Promise," Ruby grinned.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Weiss said. She had tried to sound intimidating, but Ruby still caught a faint smile on her face.

Ruby bounced lightly on her toes before she threw whatever doubt she had away and wrapped her arms tightly around Weiss. She felt Weiss stiffen in her arms and heard her small gasp of surprise.

"In the meantime... please be safe," Ruby said softly, tightening her embrace, "I promise I'll come right back."

A couple seconds passed and Weiss returned the hug, giving Ruby a light squeeze. "You better, you big dolt,"

Ruby reluctantly released Weiss after a few more moments. She gave her the biggest smile she could and waved. "Be right back, Weiss!" And with that, Ruby left the cottage, half skipping down the path to her original destination.

* * *

Two loud knocks echoed in Queen Cinder's private quarters. Cinder, who had been sitting at a desk, finished her cup of tea.

"You may enter," she called.

The door opened and Yang entered, taking a knee before Cinder after shutting the door behind her. Cinder smiled at her and stood.

"Ah, Xiao Long. I trust you have good news for me," she said with a honeyed tone.

Yang pulled back her hood and looked up into Cinder's eyes. "I do, Your Majesty. I believe I found where the fugitive princess has been hiding."

"And did you engage?"

Yang shook her head. "No, Your Majesty. As per your orders. Permission to stand?" Cinder nodded and Yang stood, giving a salute before retrieving some parchment from a slot in her armor. "A map of the area, and the pathways to it," she said, handing the paper over. "The cottage circled belongs to one Klein Sieben, a well-regarded woodworker in the merchant district."

Cinder took it and unfolded it, her yellow eyes moving over the map. When she was satisfied, she folded it back up and put her gaze on Yang.

"Excellent work, Xiao Long. I believe a raise in rank is in your immediate future," she smiled.

Yang gave her a deep, polite bow. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Should I let the rest of the guard know? We can assemble and bring her back for justice by dawn."

Cinder held up a hand. "No. I will handle this. You're dismissed, Xiao Long."

"In that case, can I have some personal time?" Yang asked, "I ran into my sister in the forest, and-"

"Yes, yes, of course," Cinder said dismissively, "You've more than earned it,"

Yang gave another bow. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I won't be gone long." She had turned to leave and had a hand on the door when Cinder called to her.

"Xiao Long. Not a word about any of this to anyone," she said sternly, "this is a...delicate situation. We wouldn't want to panic anyone and lose her once again to the forest. Who knows who else she might hurt? Especially with your family in there."

"...Understood," Yang said with a nod, and left the room.

Cinder waited until she couldn't hear her footsteps anymore before looking at the hand drawn map again. She needed a different approach this time. Sending another hit out might expose her intentions. A couple moments was all she needed before the perfect plan began forming itself in her head. Cinder approached her mirror, lightly touching the glass and invoking the magic behind it.

"Mirror, tell me something. Tell me a spell to poison my enemy."


	5. Grimm

**Authors note: Jú Xiao Long uses the character 菊 for her given name, meaning chrysanthemum, a flower that can be yellow. Apologies for a shorter than usual chapter. I'll publish the next very soon.**

* * *

The snarling and growling of very angry Grimm was the only noise in the small clearing. A small pack of Beowolves, about seven in total, all struggled and strained against the ropes holding them to thick tree trunks. Their black bodies were twisted in odd positions, their yellow eyes seeming to glow red with rage. Mercury strutted among them, occasionally kicking one in its bony snout if it snapped at him.

"See, Emerald? I told you roping these things was going to be easy," he smirked, "all we have to do is let Her Majesty know, and we're back on the good list,"

Emerald, who had just finished triple knotting the rope on one Alpha, stood up straight and wiped her brow. She pulled off her green hood and looked around at their catch.

"I donno… letting a girl get ripped to shreds by these things? Seems a little gruesome..." she said, folding her arms.

"Em, you're missing the point. We catch the Grimm, the Grimm kill the little brat, and our job is finished. The blood isn't even on your hands," Mercury sighed and shook his head. "you've been weird since taking this job. Killing people has never been an issue for you. It's how Her Majesty got you with me in the first place. Don't tell me you're going soft."

Emerald stayed silent. She didn't want to acknowledge what he was saying. Especially since part of it was true. It was her fault in the first place for letting the princess go. She'd killed countless others to help Cinder get her position and more. So what was different now?

Instead, Emerald looked at Mercury and frowned. "Where's the eighth?" When he gave her a confused look, she elaborated. "The eighth Grimm. We tracked eight Beowolves, we have seven."

Mercury scoffed. "Yeah right. Like I'd ever let one..." he paused and quickly counted the skull-like heads of the tied down monsters. "...Whatever. We have enough, don't we?"

"What was it you boasted about before we found these? That you were… skilled? You caught them before?" Emerald smirked at Mercury, who returned the look with a glare. Knowing she was striking at nerves, Emerald continued, "and all I see are Beowolves. What about those three Ursa you were soooo excited about, you left me to this pack?"

Mercury turned his head away and muttered a curse under his breath. "Just help me get these ready for delivery. And not another word."

"Yes, boss," Emerald grinned before kneeling by a contorted Grimm, starting to prepare the beast for travel.

* * *

Ruby had never run so much in her life. She had started out gleefully skipping at a leisurely pace, still on an emotional high from being with Weiss. The memory of her body warm against hers, the slight floral smell of her shampoo, and most importantly, that beautiful smile of hers. Ruby had felt like she was walking on air as she traversed down the winding forest paths, getting back on track to her original destination. It wasn't until she had looked up to watch some singing birds fly by that she realized how precious time was. The fuzzy feeling that had enveloped her fell away, and a sense of urgency took its place. The sun wasn't exactly overhead anymore, and was gradually following it's daily path down over the horizon.

Now that she was in more familiar territory, Ruby ran over the dirt path. Anything to get to her grandmothers house as fast as possible. Not only to finish her now very delayed errand and avoid any wandering Grimm, but also to get back to Weiss. As she ran, she thought of countless ways to apologize and explain what had happened. She had to think of something better than "Hey Grandma! Sorry I'm late! I got distracted by the most beautiful girl in the world. By the way she's a princess!". Even though it was the truth.

A sudden loud howl immediately followed by plants crunching stopped Ruby in her tracks. Heavy panting mixed with low growls filled the air. Ruby frantically looked around her for cover. Just to her left was a thick patch of wild raspberry bushes surrounding some wildflowers. She did her best to make as little noise as possible as she hurried under the cover of the leaves. She had just pulled back traces of her red cloak when the monster had emerged onto the path. Holding her breath, she slowly pulled out her vial of red fire Dust and some flint. Just in case. Her vision was obscured by the green leaves, but she was able to make out the massive black feet with white bone-like claws shamble past her hiding spot. She felt her heart pounding against her chest and prayed the beast couldn't hear it. The Grimm stopped in front of her, breaking the silence with quick and heavy sniffs of the air. Ruby readied her only defense, keeping completely still in her squatted position. What felt like an eternity had passed before the Grimm decided to move on, trampling any brush unfortunate enough to be in its way. Ruby peeked out of her hiding spot to see the bony spiked back of the Alpha Beowolf as it lumbered away into the forest. It had gotten a good distance away, but she could have sworn there was some rope tied around it's neck.

Once she couldn't see its frame anymore., Ruby let out her breath in a long sigh of relief. "Yikes. Now that was a Big Bad Wolf," she said to herself.

She crawled out from under the bushes, putting her Dust and flint back into her basket. Brushing off her cloak and clothes, she made a small disappointed noise as she rubbed out a particularly large dirt stain. And after Weiss had gone through the trouble of getting it all nice and clean, too. She stayed in place for just a little longer, until the sounds of wildlife came back to the area. If it were a pup or juvenile Beowolf, she could have probably handled it on her own. But taking on a full grown Alpha like that would be a guaranteed death sentence. Ruby made a mental note to tell her grandmother about the sighting when she arrived. She continued down the path in a brisk walk this time. Where there was an Alpha, there was usually a pack. Ruby needed to conserve energy in case she needed to escape.

The blue sky was just starting to transition to orange when Ruby turned around a sharp bend. Her face instantly lit up as she recognized a large, carefully attended field of yellow snapdragons, daisies, and tulips. The path before her curved once again, this time leading to a small log cabin in a bright clearing. The cabin was surrounded by sunflowers and fruit bearing trees lined the edge to the forest. Ruby laughed and ran up the path, quickly closing the distance between herself and the front door. Once she arrived, she knocked three times.

"Grandma Jú! It's me, Ruby!" she called. She didn't get a response. Ruby waited a couple seconds before knocking and calling out again,"Grandma Jú? Are you okay?"

This time, a growl came in response. Ruby yelled a quick apology before slamming open the door. Looking around, she didn't see anything wrong with the interior. Everything was in its place, neat and tidy. There was another growl and a vicious bark. It sounded like it was outside. Ruby left the cabin and ran around to the back towards the noise. She skidded to a halt, dropping her basket in surprise. The contents scattering over the grass.

Jú Xiao Long was crouched down, panting heavily, her long light yellow and gray-white hair disheveled and messy, covering part of her sunflower print shirt. Looming over her was an Alpha Beowolf, slowly approaching the old woman, growling and snarling as it flexed its deadly claws.


	6. True Love

Ruby recognized the Beowolf over her grandmother right away from the tattered rope around its neck. How had it gotten here so quickly? She needed to act fast.

Ruby dove to the ground and rolled forward. She scooped up her flint and the closest vial of Dust that had fallen and flipped it open with her thumb. Getting back to her feet, she yelled at the monster before her. "Hey! You!"

The Beowolf's ear flicked and it turned its skull-like face toward the new person. Ruby ran closer and flicked her wrist holding the vial, sending fire Dust into the air near the Grimm. By quickly twisting her other hand that held her striker in a snapping motion, Ruby generated a small amount of sparks that instantly ignited the Dust in the air. The explosion knocked back Ruby and the Alpha backwards. The Grimm roared in pain as the fire burned off part of its black fur. Ruby landed on her feet, skidding backwards slightly, her cloak whipping around her body. She charged again, throwing more Dust and igniting it, surrounding the Alpha with miniature explosions and bursts of flames. The Alpha roared in pain and rage as it swung its massive arms, trying to claw its attacker.

Ruby thanked the stars she was small and nimble, able to escape the Alphas attacks. She had motioned to throw another batch of Dust but this time nothing happened. She paused for only a moment in surprise and panic as she realized her vial was now empty. The pause was enough for the Beowolf to gain the upper hand. With a mighty swing, its huge clawed hand crashed into Ruby's side, sending her flying before crashing into a nearby patch of flowers. Slowly, Ruby pulled herself up into a crouch. This was bad. The rest of her Dust was still scattered some twenty feet away by her basket. The Alpha snarled and took a couple steps closer to her, lowering its body as if to pounce. Ruby tensed her body in kind, ready to jump away from the monster. She didn't have to. A flash of blue light came from the creatures right side, and its hind leg was encased in blue ice. The Alpha roared and started trying to tug its leg free in vain. Ruby looked over to see her grandmother standing straight, a bottle of yellow Dust in one hand. A half-empty bottle of blue Dust lay at her feet. Jú took a couple steps toward the Grimm, twisting the top of the yellow bottle, allowing a dark colored marble to fall from the lid into the powder.

"Nothing harms my family," she said before raising her arm and throwing the bottle at the Alpha Beowolf.

The Alpha roared moments before the bottle hit it between the eyes, instantly exploding into a bright flash of electricity. Ruby pulled an arm up over her eyes, shielding them from the blast. When the light faded, she looked back to find the Alpha Beowolf limp on the ground, its body steadily turning to black smoke that rose to the sky. Ruby stood up and gave herself a quick once-over. Nothing felt broken or fractured, but she guessed she was going to be sore in the morning. She then immediately turned her attention to Jú, who had just let out a breath of relief. Ruby ran over, wrapping her arms around her grandmother tightly.

"Grandma Jú, I'm so glad you're okay," she said.

"Easy, little red. These old bones have had more than enough excitement for one day," Jú replied. Nevertheless, she returned her granddaughters hug.

A few moments passed and Ruby released her. "I got the supplies you needed! I kinda dropped them over there, but they should be okay. There's some cookies too. Oh, and Dad says hi!"

Jú chuckled and put her arms behind her back. "Why don't you come inside and keep me company for a little. I'll get some food on the stove. Tell me about your trip."

Ruby lit up and darted to her dropped basket, scooping up everything that fell. Thankfully none of the food spilled out of its wrappings, and only one mostly empty green dust vial broke. After gathering up her things, Ruby followed her grandmother into her cabin. Inside, she gave Jú all the supplies and food she had brought before sitting at the dining table. She began to tell her grandmother all about her trip as the older woman cooked up a light dinner. Ruby became more animated the more she talked about her stay with Weiss. In fact, she had nearly forgotten to eat after her stew dinner was placed in front of her.

Ruby let out a quiet yet happy sigh as she finished her recount. "I can't wait to see her again."

Jú set down her cup and smiled warmly at Ruby. "It sounds like you really love this girl,"

Ruby blinked. Love…? Like in the stories her mom and sister had read to her as a kid? She put a hand over her heart and looked down at her half finished dinner. Now that it was pointed out to her, it made sense. A large smile spread across her face and she looked up at Jú.

"Yeah...yeah! I do! I do love her!" she grinned.

Jú laughed quietly. "You remind me of your father talking about Summer," she said, closing her eyes, "Tai was just as giddy. Even at his age."

Ruby played with her spoon, turning around her dinner somewhat distractedly. "I told her I was going to go right back. But..." she sighed. "I should make sure you're okay first. Especially because that Alpha was around here."

Jú shook her head slowly. "Little Red, it's okay. You've brought me enough extra Dust, I can take care of myself for a while," She reached over from her side of the table and patted Ruby's head. "I may be old, but I'm not going to go down easy to some wandering Beowolves," she took a glance outside at the darkening sky. Her dark blue eyes that were starting to fill with worry met with Ruby's silver ones. "It's late, and the Grimm are more active at night. Stay until morning, dear."

Ruby grinned. "Thank you, Grandma!"

* * *

Weiss found herself restless, pacing around Klein's cottage, dusting and redusting everything in sight. She rearranged his dinnerware and trinkets first by color, then by size. She was currently putting them in alphabetical order when Klein approached her, putting a hand on her back.

"Miss Weiss, I assure you, everything is fine," he spoke softly, "your location is safe. I'm certain that guard from before was just doing a routine check up."

Weiss grumbled and let her shoulders droop. She carefully set down a bowl she held and faced him. "I want to believe you. But I'm not sure. What if I'm found here? What if something bad happens to you?" After a small pause, she held herself and said quietly, "...what if something bad happens to _her_?"

"You mean Miss Ruby?" Klein asked. He got silence in response. But that was more than enough of an answer for him. "That girl had quite a bit of spunk to her. I do like the effect it had on you, Miss Weiss. It was nice to see you smile so much, despite your predicament."

More silence. Klein smiled and gently patted her back. "Don't you worry and fret. Didn't Miss Ruby say she'd be back soon?"

Almost on cue, someone knocked on the cottage door. Weiss and Klein froze in place. There's no way that would be Ruby. She hadn't been gone more than an hour at most. More knocks came.

"Miss Weiss. Take shelter in the bedroom. I'll give you a signal when it's clear," Klein whispered.

Weiss nodded and hurried off to her hiding spot on tiptoes. Klein stood as straight as possible and headed for the door. "I'm here, hold on one moment!" he called out.

Klein got to the door and put his hand on the handle, preparing himself to fight if needed. He opened the door and froze again. A young woman slightly shorter than him stood at the door, dressed in a white and brown courier tunic. Her pink hair split into brown at a left part. Her heterochromatic pink and brown eyes looked at him innocently as she smiled at him and held up an envelope.

"...For me?" he asked, taking the envelope cautiously.

The woman said nothing. She just gave a small nod and stayed in place, gesturing for him to open the letter. Klein slowly obliged, keeping his eye on this strange courier. In the envelope was parchment adorned with the royal snowflake symbol in gold and cursive loopy writing in red ink. Klein read the letter aloud.

"To one Mister Sieben. This is a summons from the court of His Majesty Jacques Schnee inquiring your woodworking services. The court would like you to repair one cedar and oak armoire and is requesting this work be done immediately. The courier will escort you to the castle once you have packed your things. You will be paid handsomely for your work. Signed, Royal Counselor Roman Torchwick."

Klein looked between the letter and the strange courier before him. She simply continued to smile and rolled her hand, gesturing for him to get going. Klein frowned and re-read the letter before folding it up with a sigh. "...I just need a moment to grab my tools."

The courier's smile grew wider and she bowed lightly as Klein closed the door. He shuffled back into his house, heading for the bedroom dresser. Weiss jumped from her seated position on her bed, looking at him inquisitively. Klein knelt by his dresser, pulling some tools and a small sack out from the bottom drawer.

"Klein? What's going on?" she asked.

Klein paused his packing to look up at her. "There's a messenger at the door. I'm needed at the castle for some work. I shouldn't be gone more than two days."

Weiss's eyes widened momentarily. "...Please hurry back?"

Klein finished packing and straightened up. His face softened into an apologetic look before he gave her a small hug. Weiss involuntarily let out a small whine when he released her.

"Miss Weiss, stay indoors until I come home. Don't open the door for anyone strange," he warned.

She nodded before turning her gaze to the ground and pulling her arms up around her torso. Klein finished grabbing everything he thought he needed and faced his guest. His eyes changed to a gold yellow as he smiled at her. "I'll be back in a jiffy. So turn that little pout into a smile!"

Weiss wiped at her scarred eye and couldn't help from smiling at her host. She gave him one last hug before bidding him farewell as he turned around the corner. She waited a few moments after hearing the cottage door shut before venturing back into the living area. With only silence to accompany her, she started to feel crushing loneliness start to overcome her.

Weiss sighed and went back to her previous busywork task of rearranging the dishes alphabetically. She picked up a red bowl and stopped to stare at it. It only served to remind her of Ruby. The sound of her voice echoed in her mind and she found her vision starting to blur slightly. She was a strange girl, loud, and a little obnoxious. But Weiss had loved almost every moment of their short time together. She let out a shaky sigh and put the bowl back where she had found it.

Looking around the cottage, little traces of Ruby's presence were everywhere. Their dishes from breakfast were still in the sink, the tub Weiss had used to wash her cloak tucked neatly away in a tiny puddle from the remnants of water left in it, and a half-eaten cookie still sat at the table not far from where she had sat. Before she knew what she was doing, Weiss had crossed to room, sitting at the spot Ruby had been at for breakfast. She felt a small weight on her heart as she picked up the cookie, turning it between her fingers. She took a small bite, finding herself hoping Ruby would return sooner than later.


	7. The Calm Before

Cinder's grin spread from cheek to cheek as she looked at her masterpiece. Her body swelled with immense satisfaction as she took a step away from her desk to admire her work. It had taken her a lot longer than she had anticipated to get her job done. Especially with her two best Huntsmen gone AWOL for the last day and a half. But their reprimanding can wait.

Cinder carefully lifted the object she had been smiling at off her desk. A white and red apple, shining beautifully and giving off an aroma even Cinder found hard to resist. She turned the fruit over delicately, inspecting it for any flaws. She hummed a quiet note of satisfaction, setting the apple down and turning back to her open books and vials of bubbling green liquid.

The pages title caught her eye first. "Sleeping Death" in large ornate letters sat in the middle of the top of the page. After reading how long it would take to achieve full potency, she allowed herself to relax and held up the apple once more, looking at it curiously.

"A subtle poison, making the victim fall into a death-like slumber. With her lost in that forest under the care of that dwarf oaf, she'll never come to," Cinder mused aloud.

She leaned forward, reading the last bit of the passage in her book to herself. "Can only be broken by... loves first kiss," she winkled her nose at those last three words. She chuckled to herself soon after. "Good thing no one loves that brat. How could they? After she killed those innocent knights and bystanders..." her golden eyes flickered to an ornate pair of daggers hung on her wall.

Cinder's gaze shifted over to her enchanted mirror. She scowled at it. The thing had been nothing but inconvenient to her, only being vague in its replies to her interrogations. At least it had given her the name of the tome of curses. Cinder looked back at her poisoned apple. It's two toned skin shimmered in the candlelight, and Cinder found it almost tempting enough to eat herself. She smirked. It was ready.

She stood from her desk and made her way to a small closet. She began digging out old moth-eaten clothing to hide her appearance, humming a small tune. An old peddler woman offering apples would be completely inconspicuous. The princess would never be able to see though it.

* * *

Ruby was up and awake at the crack of dawn, before the birds started to sing. Her usual grogginess escaped her completely. Just as she was finishing tying her corset around her middle, she was greeted with a familiar voice.

"My my, Little Red. I've never seen you this eager in the morning,"

Ruby turned and greeted her grandmother. Jú held two cups in her hands, light steam rising out and above them. She handed one over to Ruby, who took it with a smile.

"Thanks, grandma," she said before taking a sip. Ruby instantly recoiled, sticking her now burnt tongue out with a whimper.

Jú chuckled before taking a sip of her own drink. "Be careful, dear. I put extra sugar in that coffee for you, but that doesn't cool it down." She took a sip of her own cup before continuing. "Will you be heading out soon, Little Red?"

Ruby faltered for a moment, almost spilling a bit of her drink. "Umm...no, I can stay for a little. I do miss you and all..."

Jú walked over to her granddaughter and pulled her into a one armed hug. "Your happiness makes me happy. I'll make you some breakfast so you have enough energy for your journey," She released Ruby and smiled, a slight mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Promise to bring the young princess over sometime. I'd love to meet the girl who makes my granddaughter this happy,"

Ruby couldn't contain her smile. "Of course!" she said with a blush.

She scarfed down her breakfast as soon as it was ready, not even feeling the piping hot food burning her throat. She was going to see Weiss again! Nothing else mattered. She accepted two vials of extra fire Dust from her grandmother, just in case, and headed back to the path she had taken just two days prior. She paused her half skipping, half walking pace only once as she reached a somewhat familiar fork. Bouncing in place with a hand to her chin. Ruby looked between the two ways.

"Ohh… left? Right?" she said aloud, trying to remember the way she had taken before. Ruby closed her eyes and tried to go over her steps. She frowned and opened then back up, looking once again at the dirt paths before her. She stepped in the middle, talking to herself. "So… if I came from that way...and Grandmas is this way...then Weiss must be this way!"

Ruby started confidently down the path she had chosen, humming to herself. She had made up her mind. As soon as she got there, she was going to immediately tell Weiss how she felt. A few minutes into her walk, Ruby began talking aloud again to practice. "Hi, Weiss! I love you! ...Wait no, that's too straightforward. Weiss, you're really pretty and I like you. A lot. ...Ugh, that sounds dumb..."

She was almost too engrossed in her practice to notice she had been traveling in circles. Ruby stopped and looked up and down the path. This wasn't right. She tapped her boot impatiently, looking around the more gnarled path, racking her brain to remember the route. A thin broken branch on a sapling a few feet away set of a light bulb in her head. She headed off the path, through the tangled forest, the same way she had chased Weiss before. Clearing the dead branches and bushes turned out to be more familiar than the path and before she knew it, Ruby had re-emerged back on the dirt pathway, not far from Klein's cottage. Humming a small victorious tune, she skipped over to the front door. She stopped as she looked at the door, her heart rising in her throat as it started to pound against her ribcage. She shivered with anticipation and knocked on it quickly.

"Weiss? Weiss, I'm back!" she called. She waited a few seconds before knocking and calling again. "Weiss? You're there, right? Weiiiiiss!"

The door flew open and Ruby saw a blur of white and blue as she was yanked into the cottage with an impressive amount of force. Her yell of surprise got caught in her throat as she was unceremoniously flung to the ground. Ruby propped herself up with one hand and pulled her hood that had fallen over her face off with the other. Her eyes met Weiss's back as the princess looked quickly around outside before shutting the door with a sigh. Her attention turned back to Ruby on the ground and the stern expression she held seemed to melt away slightly.

"You big dunce!" she hissed, "you can't just call my name like that in the open!"

"I'm sorry! I just… got really happy that I was going to see you again," Ruby admitted with a light blush, nervously rubbing at the back of her head.

She watched Weiss's pale complexion take on a dark pink. She huffed and relaxed, reaching a hand out to help Ruby up. Ruby took it, practically springing to her feet. Her amount of energy must have surprised Weiss, for she took a small step backwards. Ruby, however, still filled with unbridled joy and love, launched herself forward, pulling Weiss into a large bear hug. The action almost knocked the two over and elicited a cry of surprise out of the other girl as she struggled to keep standing.

"Wh-what is wrong with you?" she asked, holding to Ruby to help steady herself.

Ruby tightened her hug, nuzzling into Weiss's shoulder a little. Weiss sighed, conceding defeat, and returned the hug, pulling the other girl a little closer. She waited a moment before speaking quietly. "...I'm glad you came back,"

Ruby pulled away just enough to make eye contact before grinning. "Told you I would!"

Her grin fell as she felt one of Weiss's hands leave her back and reach up to her hair, gently pulling her fingers through it. Ruby practically froze, now certain her face was as red as her cloak. Weiss frowned slightly, holding up a small stick between their faces.

"You had a twig in your hair. Don't you take care of yourself?" she asked, but there was no bite behind her words, "Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"

The smile returned to Ruby's face. She moved her arms up to Weiss's shoulders, holding her steady but not too tight. "Weiss, I wanna tell you something. No. I _have_ to tell you something," Ruby could feel her cheeks start to burn as she spoke. "Weiss, I-" Somehow, the words caught in her throat. Ruby had effectively confused herself. Had she not said her feelings aloud almost the whole trip back here? She pouted for a second before trying again. "I-... Weiss, I-… I lo..." Why was this suddenly so hard? She made a small annoyed whine in her throat. Weiss tilted her head slightly.

"Ruby? Are you okay?" she asked.

Ruby let out a quick and sharp exhale. Clearly, words were failing her. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a couple seconds to focus.

"Weiss, I..." She opened her eyes, determined and ready to spill her guts. But she didn't get the chance. She looked past Weiss and her eyes widened. She finished her sentence with, "I...am probably in a lot of trouble."

Weiss blinked a couple of times and tilted her head with a frown. "Okay, now I'm completely lost." She turned her head to follow Ruby's frozen gaze behind her.

Standing in the doorway was a tall hooded figure, their yellow cape pulled completely around their body and their hood hiding half their face. Ruby released Weiss and took a few steps in front of her protectively.

"Yang? Why are you here?" she asked.

Yang folded her arms. "I went on my way to Grandma's to check up on you. I found you on the path heading away, talking about the renegade princess to yourself. So I followed you, and you proved my suspicions true, Ruby," Yang let her arms fall and pulled a short set of iron shackles out from her yellow cloak. "I had my suspicions when I met you here last. But to think you would knowingly help hide a murderer...that's acting as an accomplice," She took a couple powerful steps forward.

Before Ruby could react further, Yang had roughly grabbed her cloak and pulled her forward before taking her arms and holding them together behind her at the wrists.

"Yang?! What are you doing?" Ruby exclaimed.

She turned her head around to face her older sister. Yang looked at her, her half visible violet eyes filled with a strange mix of anger, sadness, and disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Ruby. I didn't want to have to do this either," she said with a sigh, There was a small click as the shackles were closed in place around Ruby's wrists. "...Ruby Rose, for the crime of assisting in hiding a fugitive, I'm placing you under arrest in the name of Her Majesty Cinder Fall. You will be taken back to the castle for questioning and a trial."

Holding her bound hands with one of hers, Yang gently placed her other hand on the back of Ruby's head, pushing lightly as she led her out.

"Yang! Stop! You're making a big mistake!" Ruby cried, starting to feebly struggle in her sisters grip.

Yang only tightened her hold, effectively keeping her sister still. "I'm trying to protect you," she said sternly. Yang paused for a moment and spoke again, her voice heavier this time. "I'm not going to lose you like Mom and Summer."

Ruby stopped struggling after that. She looked back at Weiss who had sunk to her knees, her blue eyes dilated in fear and disbelief. Ruby's eyes started to water at the sight and she hung her head before the tears could fall, allowing herself to be escorted out by Yang.

Before the two completely left, Yang stopped to turn back to Weiss with a scowl. "If you run, Princess, I can promise you you'll be treated FAR worse for harming my sister," she threatened.

With that, Ruby was once again marched out the door and towards a waiting horse-drawn carriage. She tried a few more times to plead Weiss's innocence and her own safety. But Yang was stubborn and seemed to tune her out as she carted Ruby away to the castle.


	8. Sleeping Death

Leaving the castle by herself was much easier than Cinder had imagined. All she had to do was ask to be left alone. Then, as soon as was time for the guards shift change, she took advantage of the emptier hallways to head down the stables. She'd be done and back before nightfall and no one would be the wiser.

As she saddled up a chestnut horse in the stables, she fought hard to keep herself from laughing aloud. The entirety of the castle were all fools, all eating out of her hands and taking every word as absolute truth. Cinder nearly felt drunk with all the power she held. Soon. Very soon she will be regarded as the most beautiful, the fairest in the kingdom. And soon, all of Remnant. Once she got that mirror of hers to point out any more competition.

She waited until she got deep enough past the border into the Emerald Forest before dismounting and donning her disguise. Once prepared and astride her horse once more, she retrieved the map to Klein's cottage and set off on a brisk pace to her destination.

* * *

Weiss was alone and scared out of her mind for the second time that week. Somehow this time managed to be worse. Not only was her hiding spot found out, but Ruby-her only link to living a somewhat normal life again-was ripped away from her. Every time she thought of fleeing once again into the Emerald Forest, she was hit with the sharp memory of Yang's parting words. Weiss felt like she couldn't breathe. She somehow managed to stagger her way to the sink and splash some cold water on her face. She stood there at the counter, panting and not caring how the water dripped into her eyes and on her clothes. She closed her eyes, trying to force herself to calm down. To think of anything other than the guard kicking down that door and dragging her back to the castle at any moment now. Back to Cinder.

One hand found its way up to her scarred eye, memories of the queen maiming her in an attempt to tarnish her looks flashed quickly through her mind. Weiss gritted her teeth and shook her head to send the images away. She opened her eyes and the red bowl she hadn't put away earlier grabbed her attention. Instantly, her mind flooded with memories of Ruby. Her smile, her laugh, the way she looked at her like she was some kind of treasure…

It was all the grounding Weiss needed. She took a couple slow deep breaths and stood up straight, wiping her face with a sleeve. It was going to be okay. Klein would be back in the next day or so, and she was certain (mostly) Ruby would get a lighter sentence from her familial ties to the royalty. She could return and the two could run away together then, maybe escape to Vacuo. Or Atlas. Somewhere they wouldn't be recognized. Together always.

Weiss tried to focus on that train of thought. Slowly her fears and panic started to melt away. Even better than fleeing the continent, what if she got to clear her name? Could she return to her spot in the castle? Could she take Ruby with her? She started to pace around the living area, her mind now brimming with a million and one fantasies. She had almost forgotten to be concerned once her mind broached taking over her fathers place as Queen, Ruby at her side.

In her mini daydream, she had just happened to look outside one of the front windows and froze. A dark shape was shuffling along the path. At first glance, she thought it was some kind of Grimm. Until she saw the wooden basket in its hands. Curious, Weiss slowly approached the window to get a better look. The dark shape turned out to be an older woman wearing dark and moth-eaten garb with a hunchback, carrying a small crate of apples. She shuffled along the path, slowly approaching the cottage.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" the old woman called out in a feeble voice.

Weiss stayed silent. Klein did tell her to not open up for anyone strange. She stayed peering out the window at the old woman, trying to deduce how she had made it this far. Maybe there were other people that lived out here like Klein? Her thoughts were stopped by the old woman calling out once again.

"Hello? I have fresh apples from my orchard. I need only a few Lien to hire a carriage back to Mountain Glenn," She paused, stopping to catch her breath. Her body rocked back and forth and she started to stumble.

Weiss made the decision to go to the door and open it halfway. It was just an old woman, after all. And there were no signs of the royal guard anywhere. Besides, last time she encountered someone different, it turned out to be one the best moments of her life. Surely giving a little aid to an old woman while awaiting Klein's return wouldn't be of any harm.

"Are you okay?" she called out from the threshold.

The old woman looked up at her, her black hair wild and obscuring most of her face. "Oh, kind soul! My horse tripped and fell in the forest, and my ankle is sprained. I heard tell there was a carriage service close by, but I lack just a few Lien to hire one!" She raised her small box with shaky hands. "Would you spare a few Lien and buy an apple from this poor old woman?"

Weiss stepped just outside the door, watching the woman curiously. The tiniest part of her craned her neck forward to look at the old womans wares. Apples were one of her favorite snacks, after all. The woman got closer, and her muted golden eyes seemed to sparkle with some emotion Weiss couldn't exactly pinpoint. It sent a small shiver up her spine. Just as she was about to deny the woman and shut herself back in, the old woman reached into her crate and held up a red and white apple.

"Please, at least try one first. I don't peddle just ordinary apples, you know. I put a little magic in them,"

Weiss put her weight on one leg. "Really?" she asked skeptically.

The old woman nodded. "Oh yes. Eating one will grant you a wish. I'm sure a beautiful young woman like yourself has at least one of those."

Weiss held her breath. It sounded far too good to be true. Then again... magic and enchantments were uncommon but definitely not unheard of. Her mind instantly flashed to the fantasy she granted herself earlier. Ruling Vale alongside her red queen...

"How much Lien?" Weiss found herself blurting out her question without thinking.

The old woman smiled widely. "For you, my dear, nothing."

Weiss took the apple, the old woman's sudden disregard for money flying over her head. She could only feel her heart rate pick up as she brought the apple closer. Her mind was fogged with hope and desire that this wish-granting fruit would work. A small part of her enjoyed the basic appearance, taking the mixed red and white skin as a good sign. She brought it to her mouth.

Instantly, a sugary sweet taste engulfed her, and Weiss felt light headed from it. It lasted only a moment before her vision began to blur and twist. She held her head and fell back against the door, the apple falling from her hand. Suddenly, her legs turned into rubber and she found herself on the ground. She tried to look up and reach for the old woman. Her arms refused to obey and her eyelids became so heavy, keeping them open even a crack was now the hardest task she ever had to do in her life. She could have sworn she saw the woman grin devilishly at her before her eyes closed for good. A crushing weight fell across her entire body and she succumbed to it, falling into black unconsciousness.

* * *

Cinder was now undeniably, completely pissed off. Her elation as she left Weiss for dead, her joy at succeeding at her scheme, all felt like it happened years ago.

She had been able to return to her horse, only to have her disguise snag and rip off on a particularly large patch of burrs. She could live without the old clothes, but it was the damage done to her gown under it that irritated her. Then after mounting her horse and starting to head back, she discovered her map had gotten lost somewhere. She assumed back in the burr bushes, but by that point, she had gone too far to backtrack safely. Finally, after being lost in the Emerald Forest and seemingly going in circles, a couple juvenile Beowolves sprung from where a den must have been and startled her horse, who threw her before galloping into the trees with all three quickly vanishing from sight.

So of course at this moment in time, Cinder couldn't be described as anything but enraged. She trudged through the gnarled wood, unable to find the path again. She glared at each passing leaf as if trying to set it aflame. And worst of all, it was starting to get dark. So excited she was to rid herself of Weiss she neglected to bring any weapons or Dust. She had thought there would be no reason for them. The sounds of wildlife faded with the light, and the monstrous cries of the more nocturnal Grimm began to echo around her. A particular group of angry snarls that had started up were getting increasingly closer. Cinder stopped, listening for the direction they were coming from. The fact that she, queen of Vale, had to hide like a commoner only served to further anger her.

But she didn't start ducking for cover. Along with the noises of a Beowolf pack, there were also human voices. One male, and one female. And they were yelling. Cinder felt a new wave of fury start to overcome her, but one that was strangely mixed with confidence and relief. She strode with her head held high towards the Grimm's sounds until the beasts were in her view.

Her assumption was right, it was a pack. And there were humans with them. One with a shredded steel gray Huntsman cloak, the other a more intact dark green. The two stood still, fighting for control with ropes tightly tied around the Beowolves necks while facing each other at odds.

"I'm, ugh, I'm telling you, it's a left to head North!" the man in gray yelled, pulling on a few of his captured beasts.

"You said that three lefts ago! We're lost, and these things aren't helping us get back faster!" the other, a woman, countered.

Cinder clapped her hands loudly, stopping the argument and getting attention on her. The two jumped and nearly dropped their ropes, immediately spinning to face the queen.

"Mercury. Emerald. What in the name of the gods are you doing?" she asked calmly, each word biting into her lackeys.

Mercury grinned, throwing the ropes he was carrying onto Emerald, who let out a cry of protest as she caught them. He approached Cinder with his arms spread. "Your Majesty. A wonder to find you in the Emerald Forest," He bowed to her respectfully and gestured to himself when he straightened back up. "I only came up with a grand master plan to help you get rid of the brat,"

Cinder glared at them. "And that involves vanishing from my castle without a word?"

Mercury hesitated for a second. He pointed at the pack behind him. "Grimm. They can tear her apart and you wouldn't have to...bloody your hands," he explained, though his voice was now lacking the confidence from before.

"Idiots. Idiots! Both of you!" Cinder shouted, and her henchmen cringed slightly, "And where were you taking these beasts? Back to Vale? Back to Castle Beacon!?" She was met with silence. Speaking up in a deathly calm voice, she continued, "What kind of 'grand master plan' involves putting the kingdom on high alert from Grimm breaching the walls?"

Mercury shrunk down, unable to look his boss in the eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but never got the chance. The negativity in the air from Cinders rage and Mercury's defeat were sending the Beowolves into a frenzy. Emerald struggled to hold to all seven of them and was failing rapidly. The Alpha they secured let out a loud, long howl. It throwing back its head was enough to break the grip Emerald had. With a yell, she was flung into a tree not far from where Cinder stood. The Alphas howl had riled up the other six. Now free from their small restraint, their burning yellow eyes focused on the humans before them. Cinder had no time to properly react as the enraged pack of Grimm charged her, Mercury, and Emerald, overcoming the three in a matter of seconds.


	9. Amends

It had been a week since Ruby's arrest. Yang sighed and leaned forward on her table, holding her head up in her hands. She stared down at the interrogation transcripts for what must have been the hundredth time that day. Things weren't adding up and she groaned to herself out of frustration. This was the first time in a long while she felt this dissatisfied with doing her job. Her eyes scanned the words on the parchment again as she relived the moment.

* * *

" _And I keep telling you! Weiss is innocent of all this!"_

 _Ruby had basically repeated the same phrases over and over during her questioning. Yang was starting to get frustrated. She paced back and forth, wringing her hands._

" _Ruby, I need to know_ why _you keep saying that," Yang said, trying to keep her composure._

 _Ruby hesitated and fidgeted with her cloak. Yang stopped her pacing and knelt before Ruby in her chair. She knew she had to be tough, but the soft spot she had for her younger half-sister was too big._

" _Please. Tell me the whole story," she said in a gentler tone._

 _It seemed to work, as Ruby slowly recounted her journey. Yang listened carefully, occasionally looking over at the reporter to make sure he was writing down every word. When Ruby finished, Yang let out a breath she didn't know she was holding._

 _"So you see, she's in danger! If we go back now, we can keep her safe! Before Cinder can do anything!" Ruby pleaded._

 _Yang frowned._ " _...Ruby, you know how serious your accusations are towards Her Majesty and her guard," she warned._

" _I know, I know! But It's the truth, Yang! Weiss told me herself."_

 _Yang stood back up, processing this information. She frowned and resumed her pacing, slower this time. She had no reason to believe Ruby would lie. Which would mean the princess also didn't lie to Ruby. Yang wasn't exactly sure why she believed it at face-value, but she did. She stopped and faced Ruby. There was one fast way to find out._

" _You told me she said there were Huntsmen after her?" Yang asked. Ruby nodded. Yang held up part of her yellow cloak. "Huntsmen, Royal Guard… we all wear these. What colors did you say they were wearing?"_

 _Ruby scrunched up her face in thought. "Umm...black? No, umm… gray. Steel. And.." she paused to bite her lower lip. "...Forest…something. Green? Yeah, I'm pretty sure Weiss told me steel and green."_

 _Yang folded her arms. Sure colors were shared among all the royal huntsmen and guards. But there were all different shades and saturation among them. If what Ruby was saying was true, those colors would belong to the two that seemed to always be at Cinder's side. If she could find them and present this new case, she could finally get to the bottom of this. Yang approached Ruby, lightly pulling on her to stand._

" _Alright, Ruby. That's enough for today," she said, gently guiding the younger girl out, "...I'll get to the bottom of this soon enough."_

* * *

Yang pushed her chair back from the table and stood up straight. There was only one way to get this done and it wasn't at her desk. After digging up the reports from Weiss's alleged attack on the civillians and grabbing the transcripts from Ruby's questioning, she left her work table and headed out to find Mercury and Emerald.

Yang hadn't had much contact with Cinder's right hand Huntsmen. They held a strange air about them that made her want to avoid them. She checked every barracks, post, and job listing, but found no trace of them. None of the other guards seemed to know where they had vanished to either. If she couldn't find them on her own, then she'd have to go right to her boss herself. Although, this time was a bit more intimidating than every other time she reported in.

Ruby's words about her being, for lack of a better word, evil, rang in her head. True, Cinder was particularly harsh when a mission was less than completely successful. But that was due to political stress, wasn't it? And there were the times she locked herself away in her chambers for days on end after visiting the magic tome section of the royal library. Yang never thought to question any of Cinder's actions before. Yet reflecting on them now...

She arrived at the large door to Cinder's chambers sooner than later. She knocked twice and called out to announce her presence. She didn't get an answer. Frowning, Yang tried again only to get the same result. She made a small "hrm" and let her weight shift to one leg. There was always some sort of response from Cinder. Yang knocked a third time and the door opened slightly. She leaned backwards a little bit in surprise. Cinder always made her her door was shut tight at all times. Curiosity and a sense of duty to make sure her employer was okay took over, and Yang found herself slowly opening the door, taking a step inside.

"...Your Majesty?" she called out, looking around the room.

She didn't get an answer. Yang took a couple more steps into the room. She was probably crossing a million lines, entering the queens private chambers without permission. But she couldn't find herself to care. The room was poorly lit, half of the candles burned completely down covering their holders in long dried wax. A few still burned over by Cinder's work desk as well as by her prized mirror and along one wall. There was no sign of Cinder.

Crossing over to the wall that was still lit by what had once been tall taper candles, Yang stumbled as her foot caught the hidden edge of a storage chest. The paperwork she held in her hand dropped and spilled on the floor in front of her. Cursing under her breath, Yang kicked her sore foot before picking up the documents. When she stood, she froze, her brow furrowing. She was now face to face with a pair of daggers hung in an X shape on a weapon rack. She looked back down at the report papers to straighten them out and found herself briefly skimming over the written words. She stopped and frowned, the manner of wounds from the autopsy seemingly jumping out at her. Small cuts and slashes over the bodies of the victims. Didn't Weiss have swordsmanship training with a rapier? Something that couldn't make wounds like described in the papers? Yang turned her eyes back up and frowned at the daggers before running a finger along one of the blades. It had been cleaned rather recently...

The sound of something boiling over caught her attention and Yang looked in the direction of the sound. She couldn't quite make out what it was at Cinders desk and stepped closer to investigate.

What she found made her jaw drop. A bubbling cauldron and vials filled with various colored liquid were hastily stashed to the side. A musty tome opened to a recipe for a poison lay next to a couple bright red apples. The exact kind Weiss had ordered Yang to pick up for her on multiple occasions during her squire years. Yang shakily reached out and touched the text with her fingertips, hardly believing it was real.

Ruby's testimony, the attack victims papers and the daggers she saw, this poison brew setup... It all came together in her head and she felt her stomach churn violently. Yang looked down at her now shaking hands. What was wrong with her? Just how far had she fallen? Had she seriously gotten so lost in trying to please Cinder; to fill in the shoes of her step-mother? Her job was to protect _all_ of the royal family. And she had failed. Miserably.

She caught a small glint in the corner of her eye and turned her head to find the ornate mirror. Yang approached the mirror and slowly pulled the hood off her head. She looked at her reflection in disbelief. Her cloak, held to her with Cinder's emblem. Her armor, the royal snowflake symbol halfway scratched off the plating from battle, Cinder's emblem painted over, covering up what was left of it. Her gauntlets she received from her first mission completed for the queen. She was completely covered in Cinder's mark.

Yang wrinkled her nose and gripped her cloak where it was fastened around her neck. With a swift motion, she yanked it off and threw it to the ground. It was time to do what was right. Not what Cinder wanted anymore. Yang spun around and sprinted out the door and down the hallways, racing to the prison, cursing herself the entire way. She willed her legs to go faster than she had ever run before. She had to mend her mistakes before it was too late.

* * *

Ruby had lost count of the days she had been in that cell. She could only wonder how Weiss was doing. But with each passing day as dull as the previous one, Ruby couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Any loud squabble would mean Weiss had been returned. She found herself anticipating any gossip that came from a guard shift change, relieved when it was just small talk and complaining about some higher up or the other.

But right now, she sat on her cot, wrapping her cloak around her for comfort. As she tried to hide herself in the red fabric, thoughts of her mother, Summer Rose, came to mind. She did think of her mother often and missed her more than ever with every passing hour. If she was still around, she'd be able to talk to Yang. She could protect Weiss. She could make everything better and send her and Weiss home to her father with a hug and some strawberries.

Ruby started to entertain herself with the idea. She laid on her side and closed her eyes. Dad would probably love the extra company. Yang could come home, and Summer could clear up everything in her stead. Ruby curled herself up tighter, wondering if Weiss could return to the throne, taking her with. She knew her mother would approve. But what would Ruby's title be? Queen B? Co-Queen? Queen 2? Ruby found her daydreaming cut short.

What first got her attention was the angry yell from somewhere down the hallway, followed immediately by the sound of metal clanging and a heavy thud. Loud footsteps echoed after that, quickly approaching her cell. She sat up straight at the sight of familiar golden locks. Yang stood on the other side of the door, panting heavily. She fumbled in her hurry and unlocked the door after a couple tries, slamming it wide open. The sound of metal on stone made Ruby jump.

"Y-Yang?" she squeaked.

Yang marched into the room and gripped Ruby by the shoulders. "Ruby! Ruby… Gods above, I'm so sorry. Come on. We gotta go back. Now."

Ruby found herself tripping over her own feet as well as her sisters as she was ushered quickly out the door.

"Wait hold on!" As she was practically dragged down the hallway, Ruby couldn't help but notice an unconscious guard close to the prison entrance. "Yang, what's happening?" she asked.

Yang stopped for only a second, looking back at the poor sap on the floor. "I...may have knocked him out when he refused my entry," she said sheepishly, "but that's something I'll deal with later. We don't have time. We gotta go!"

Before Ruby could ask any more questions, Yang bent slightly to scoop and lift her up. This only managed to enhance Ruby's confusion as she was thrown haphazardly over Yang's shoulder. She bounced uncomfortably with each of Yang's running strides, closing her eyes to stop herself from getting any dizzier. After a few moments, Yang spoke up, doing her best to hold Ruby steadier.

"Ruby, I was wrong. You were right," Yang said quickly, bounding up a flight of stairs taking them three at a time, "I'm so sorry. I'm going to fix this all right now, just you wait."

Ruby's eyes shot open as she processed this sudden turn of events. She turned her head to look at the back of her sisters. "Wait! Do you mean...?!"

Yang shrugged the shoulder Ruby was slung over, but the movement was friendly. "I'm going to make up for all of this, Ruby. And I'm going to start by doing what I should have done from day one as part of the royal knights. Protecting the princess!"


	10. Happy Ever After

**Hi.**

 **I don't have any good excuses. This was i writing purgatory for a long LONG while. I didn't have ideas and neither did my beta. I changed jobs and that ate up a lot of time as well. Then the profile worm hit and I got too scared to log in and retrieve the draft. The only draft was saved here. A dumb move in hindsight, I know, but it was super convenient for writing on the go. So I ended up retyping everything from the app to LibreOffice, which also ate up a lot of time.**

 **Thank you all for your patience and support.**

* * *

The wind whipped Ruby's hair around, but that was the last thing she was concerned with. She was on her way to Weiss. Nothing else mattered. She closed her eyes. Yang had brought her up to date on her findings—telling her all she had stumbled upon in the queens chambers—and Ruby couldn't help but to throw a couple "told-you-so's" at her sister. She held tighter to Yang's waist as her older sibling pushed the sandy yellow horse they rode faster down the dirt path through the forest.

"You alright back there, Ruby?" Yang asked, turning her head to see the younger girl better.

Ruby nodded at her. "Just not used to horses."

Yang laughed. "Yeah, it took me a while to get used to Bumblebee here. But she's a good-Woah!"

Yang pulled hard on the reins, Bumblebee rearing and snorting as she came to a halt. Ruby clung tighter to her sister to keep from being thrown. When the horse calmed, Ruby peeked over Yang's shoulder to see what made her stop them.

In the middle of the road, a figure stood hunched over, one hand held in front of them. The tattered remains of a forest green cloak somehow still holding around their neck. Yang dismounted her horse and took a cautious step forward. When Ruby followed suit, Yang held out an arm protectively.

"Hold on, Rubes," she said quickly. She took another step and called out, "Emerald Sustrai?"

Emerald's head shot up and her red eyes widened as she realized who she stopped on the road. After staring at Yang for a few long seconds, she hung her head and her shoulders slumped.

"...Yang?" Ruby asked cautiously, looking between her sister and the other woman.

"She's one of the Huntsmen you told me about," Yang answered quickly, "Emerald Sustrai. I was looking for you earlier. What are you doing way out here in the Emerald Forest?" She took a few steps closer and stopped when Emerald slowly raised her hands in surrender.

"Wait... hold on," she choked, her voice like sandpaper.

Ruby adjusted herself to see this new woman better. Her clothes were ravaged and healing wounds covered her dark skin. Some bloody pieces of what had to be her cloak were used as makeshift bandages around her arms and legs.

"I just...give me a minute," Emerald said again. After a couple deep breaths, she slowly straightened up with more than a few winces.

Yang folded her arms. "Minute's up. Now, why exactly did you disappear from the castle? And as one of Her High... Cinder's favorites, where is sh-"

"I... _we_ don't have time for that," Emerald interrupted, "Those things don't give up." Punctuating her sentence, a low rumbling growl came from the right. Yang took just a moment to calm her horse before putting her focus back on Emerald.

"Grimm? This close to Beacon?" she asked.

Emerald turned back to Yang. "Listen. I'll do what you want without a fight but first-!"

The loud crack of a sapling falling echoed among the three women. Immediately following it was a pair of growls, much closer this time. Like they formed out of the shadows of the forest itself, three Ursai lumbered forward on all fours, staring down the three humans before them.

"You were trailing these?!" Yang yelled, taking a step back.

Emerald hissed a curse and grabbed a very used chain scythe from its holster on her back. "When you watched your friend and Queen die and live in fear for the good part of a week, you kind of drip with the negative things these monsters like,"

Ruby instinctively reached for her skirt pockets to grab her emergency Dust vial. She groaned inwardly when she didn't find it. Of course. Yang had carted her out so fast, she didn't had time to grab her personal belongings from the castle. In fact, it hadn't even crossed her mind. She turned to Yang.

"Yang, I don't have my Dust!" she said quickly.

Yang took her eyes off the threat before her for a moment before scooping Ruby up and dropping her on the back of her uneasy horse.

"Go. I'll handle these guys and meet with you back at the castle," she said hurriedly.

"But, Yang!" Ruby started to protest. She stopped when Yang shook her head.

"No buts. Just go to her," Yang was interrupted by a low growl rumbling from the biggest Ursa. It stood on its hind legs, turning it's bony face to stare at her.

Ruby's gaze caught it and she felt herself start to tremble. "That's a...really big Ursa, Yang..."

"No way. It's not too big, or too small. I think it's juuuuuust right...for my fist to meet its face," she grinned, "Remember. The more gross and scary the trees look, the closer you're getting to her. Don't come back this way. Just go northeast as much as possible until you get to Mountain Glenn. Go through there to Beacon. Got it?"

"Uhh...kinda?" Ruby answered.

"Good enough."

Yang forced the reins into Ruby's hands and gave her horse a slap on the flank. Bumblebee whinnied loudly and took off down the path, Ruby holding to the animal for dear life as she went speeding into the forest, the sounds of battle fading away behind her.

* * *

Ruby kept repeating Yang's directions in her head as she ran Bumblebee along the path. To her surprise, it was easier to control the animal than she had thought. She had full control of the horse after a few shaky moments.

The forest began to grow more gnarled and wild, which would make anyone else nervous and turn back. Ruby was only fueled more. It was a sure sign she was on the right track. She came around a bend and laughed aloud as part of the cottage came into view. Her heart pounding with more than adrenaline, Ruby pushed Bumblebee faster to close the remaining distance.

"Weiiiiiss! Weiss, I'm back!" She called out as she slowed the horse to a halt.

A new object she hadn't seen before grabbed her attention. It was brown, white, and gold and glimmered as the suns rays bounced off its surface. A short man sat in front of it, who Ruby immediately recognized as Klein. Putting on a smile, she shakily but successfully dismounted Bumblebee and practically bounced over to him, ready to greet the man. But the closer she got, the faster her smile faded.

What had caught her attention turned out to be a large open glass coffin which sat upon a large and ornate wood and gold table. White roses and lilies surrounded its edges, all in various stages of wilt. But what stopped and shattered Ruby's heart was who lay in it. Weiss Schnee lay motionless on her back, her hands delicately folded on her stomach, her eyes shut as if asleep. Klein, who had apparently heard her arrival, turned his head slowly to see her.

"Ah, Miss Rose... you've returned," he greeted, putting on a tiny smile for her. It quickly faded as he looked back to Weiss. "...I'm sorry our reunion had to be like this."

Ruby barely heard him. She couldn't hear anything save for a ringing steadily growing louder in her ears. She took a shaky and unsteady step forward, unable to believe her eyes. It was all too unreal. Ruby repeated the same thoughts over and over. Weiss was fine. This was just an elaborate ruse. Of course it was. If the guard thought she was dead, then she could escape again and never have to worry about being found again. She swallowed hard and spoke, though her voice was hollow. "Wh...what happened? She's not... Weiss isn't...this isn't real, right?" She looked to Klein for answers.

The stout mans shoulders heaved and he turned his gaze to the ground. "...When I returned from a summons to the castle a few days ago, I found her outside," Klein spoke quietly as he recounted his story, "she wasn't breathing, and had no pulse. Just a rotting apple beside her."

"Queen Cinder ..." The name had escaped Ruby's lips in a whisper before she knew she had said it.

Klein made a small sound and Ruby clenched her jaw shut. A small wave of guilt washed over her. Of course he would have figured that much out. She chose to remain silent, looking on at Weiss. She placed a hand over her chest as if that would stop the pain.

Klein wiped his eyes with a handkerchief he pulled from his trousers. "It might sound strange, but I couldn't bury her. Not just yet. The ground is... unfitting for her."

Ruby found her voice again and asked, "...Can I go to her?"

Klein bowed his head and gestured to the coffin. Slowly, Ruby approached her body and was surprised how well her numb legs obeyed her. She blinked back tears as best she could and quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve when that failed.

"Weiss... I'm sorry. I should have done more to help you." Apologies and excuses ran through her head, but she couldn't make them into words. Finally she let out a soft "I love you.."

Ruby found herself moving before she could completely process her own actions. She had leaned into the coffin and gave Weiss a light and gentle kiss. She lingered there for a few seconds before pulling back. She wiped at her eyes one more time with a small sigh. Just as she was ready to turn and head back and follow Yang's instructions empty-handed, she caught a small movement out of the corner of her eye. Ruby froze in place, her eyes wide as she watched Weiss shift ever so slightly. Slowly, Weiss opened her eyes halfway with a small groan.

"...W...Where am...?" Her voice was hoarse and quiet. "...Ruby?"

Ruby couldn't believe her eyes. She rubbed at them and pinched her arms to make sure this wasn't some sort of crazy dream. Maybe she fell off Yang's horse at some point and was concussed. But no, the pinches hurt and she was very much standing in front of an ornate coffin surrounded by flowers with Weiss in it, actually stirring in front of her.

Weiss groaned again and shakily lifted a hand to rub at her forehead. "Ugh… I feel like a Borbatusk ran over me..." She turned her head to look back at Ruby. "...what happened with that old woman? And the-"

Weiss didn't get to finish her sentence. Ruby had charged forward and scooped up Weiss's torso in the biggest bear hug she could muster. She held tight to the other girl and began to sob uncontrollably into her chest.

"Ruby...this is really uncomfortable," Weiss said, though she weakly placed a hand on Ruby's back.

"I-I just...I came back to see you and… and you were dead," Ruby choked out in between sobs, "but now you're not dead and...and…! Oh Weiss! I'm just so, so, so happy!"

Eventually, she released Weiss and furiously wiped at her eyes again. She couldn't help but beam at the other girl below her. Somehow she managed to tear her eyes away to look back to a very surprised Klein approaching the coffin.

"She's okay!" Ruby cried out with a laugh.

"I... don't believe it..." Klein muttered, stopping next to Ruby.

Weiss attempted to sit up, to face the two proper but ended up only weakly shuffling back and forth in her coffin. She soon gave up and settled down on her back. She let out a small sigh. "I feel too stiff to get up..."

The little lightbulb went off in Ruby's head. With a smile, she slid her arms under Weiss's body and with only a little bit of a struggle managed to lift her up bridal style out of the coffin. Weiss squeaked at the motion and flailed as best she could, somehow managing to hold to Ruby's neck.

"What are you doing?" Weiss asked, holding tighter to Ruby.

Ruby shrugged and looked down at her. "Helping you up. You said you felt stiff. This seemed like the best way to do that. Besides, you're not that heavy." Despite saying that, her arms were already starting to protest the new weight. She ignored it and turned carefully to head back to Yang's horse. "We should get going. Got a long way to go to Mountain Glenn, then back to Yang and the castle."

What little color Weiss's face had faded at Ruby's words. "What are you taking about?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, what are you talking about?" Klein asked warily.

Ruby looked between the two of them, confused for only a moment before mentally smacking herself. "Oh, no it's not bad! I mean, everything's good now!" she said quickly.

With the way Klein narrowed his eyes, he didn't believe her. Weiss started to struggle against her grip. "Put...me...down! I can't...go back!"

"Ah, wait! Hold on!" Ruby started quickly, doing her best to keep Weiss steady, "It's going to be safe, I promise! I-it's kind of a long story. I can tell you on the way!"

"No, yer goin' to tell us right now young lady,"

Ruby let out a small yelp at the now red-eyed woodsman's tone. "Okay, okay!"

Feeling like her arms were going to shatter any moment, she caved and moved to gently set Weiss on her feet, keeping one arm hooked around her waist to help keep her steady. She took a deep inhale and started recounting all the news and events. Ruby was just about out of breath by the time she wrapped up her tale. A small part of her was surprised her tongue hadn't fallen out by now.

"...And that's everything. Honest to gods truth." She looked between Weiss and Klein, bouncing nervously in place the longer the silence went on.

"I believe her." Weiss had spoken up first. She squeezed Ruby's shoulder she rested her hand on for support. "She wouldn't intentionally put me in danger. ...Right?"

Ruby rapidly shook her head. "Oh gods, never. I like you WAY too much." When Weiss raised her eyebrows at the comment, Ruby focused all her attention on Klein, coughing nervously into her hand. "You could come with us, Klein! Umm, mister Klein sir!"

The stout woodsman shook his head with a small smile. "If Miss Weiss trusts you, than I do too. And I will have to decline the invite to go back now. I have a bit of a mess I need to clean up. An eyesore of bad memories."

Weiss gave Ruby a small nudge. When Ruby gave her a questioning look, she nodded her head in Klein's direction. Tightening her grip around Weiss' waist, Ruby helped her slowly walk over to the man, easing her into a position where she could give him a hug.

"Thank you, Klein. I'll never forget all you've done for me."

Klein returned her hug with as much warmth as she gave him. "I'd do it all again if I had to, Miss Weiss." Releasing her, he wiped a tear from his eye. "Now run along. Can't keep everyone waiting too much longer."

When Weiss straightened, Ruby was right there helping her back up. "Can you walk okay?"

Weiss gave a leg a shaky kick before shaking her head. "I'm going to need a little more help..."

"You got it! Slow and steady."

Looping her arm around Weiss' waist once more, Ruby slowly walked with her back to a grazing Bumblebee. They had just about reached the horses flank when Weiss paused, stopping them both. Immediately, Ruby gave her a questioning look. Just as she opened her mouth to ask if she was okay, Weiss interrupted her.

"How did you wake me up anyway?" she asked, "You left that little bit out earlier."

Ruby cleared her throat nervously, feeling her cheeks heat up. "I, uhh… I said… Iloveyouandkissedyou."

She found it now incredibly hard to look at Weiss now. Saying it to what she thought was her dead body was way easier than now, knowing she could be rejected at any moment. Somehow, she mustered up the courage to give her a sheepish glance. She was met with the princess pouting slightly, her brow furrowed as she stared at her. Ruby whined and turned her eyes to the ground. "Yeah, okay. That was probably crossing like...fifty different boundaries and I shouldn't have and—"

"Could you do it again?"

"Of course, never again and… what?" Ruby did a double take, blinking a couple times and her mouth falling slightly open as she processed what she just heard. "...Do it again?"

The pout and frown left Weiss' face to be replaced with a small and gentle smile. "I certainly didn't hear it before. It's something I'd very much like to remember happening."

"Wow, put me on the spot..." Ruby shuffled in place, looking just about every which way.

No, she had to steel herself. She did it before, she should be able to do it again. Easy peasy! With her cheeks on fire, she met Weiss' gaze. Something about the soft and expectant look on the other girls face calmed the butterflies in Ruby's stomach, and helped calm her pounding heart. She took a quick breath before speaking.

"I… Weiss, I love you,"

"And I, you," Weiss replied. Her own face took on a dark pink that Ruby found simply adorable. The princess gave her a light squeeze from the arm currently wrapped around her shoulders. "I'm glad you ran into me."

Ruby giggled at the memory. "Yeah, me too,"

A few seconds passed as they stood there, happily looking into each others eyes. Ruby felt like she could get lost in that blue forever. Not that she would mind. Using the hand not currently helping support Weiss, Ruby reached up and brushed the other girls cheek. She cupped her face and pulled her in for a kiss. A kiss Weiss readily and happily returned. The reciprocating action only served to send Ruby into a state of pure bliss. She held Weiss a little closer, not really wanting it to end.

When they pulled apart, they stood there, smiling at each other for a long moment. A comforting warmth washed over Ruby and she was sure Weiss felt the same thing. Before she started helping the princess mount the horse, a little amusing thought crossed her mind. Who would have ever thought getting lost would lead to a happy ever after?

* * *

 **Three Months Later**

* * *

Ruby groaned as she stretched her arms above her head. Then twisted her body back and forth before finally stretching her legs. Long carriage rides between Mountain Glenn and Castle Beacon had to be her least favorite thing in the world. Especially now that the days were growing colder. Once she had gotten herself all loose and comfortable, she readjusted her red cloak and skirt before walking up the large steps that led to the castles grand entranceway. The feeling of being in the huge white gold interior never ceased to make her feel small and uncomfortable. She quickened her pace as she walked through the structure, her boots echoing off the walls.

By now she had a better grasp on how the hallways connected. And there was no chance of them changing around on anyone. Something Ruby was silently grateful for. There had been too many trips in the Emerald Forest where some trees decided they wanted to be elsewhere that day and effectively blocked any path she might have memorized.

She rounded a corner into another hallway and slowed her pace, counting the doors on the left side. "One...two...three… was it the fourth?" she mused aloud, coming to a stop.

Ruby shrugged and stood in place. If she was wrong, all she had to do was walk a few extra feet to the correct door. Luckily she didn't have to wait long. And she had indeed stopped at the correct door, for about two minutes after she arrived, the door opened before her. Out stepped Yang in bright new gold and blue armor with Weiss in tow.

"And you're absolutely sure on your decision regarding Ser Sustrai?" Yang asked.

Weiss turned to her, straightening up to be as tall as she could muster. "Absolutely. As I said in there, I wouldn't be alive if she didn't let me escape. Besides, Father already approved my decision on revoking her death penalty. I don't know why we had that confirmation meeting in the first place."

"Rules come with a lot of paperwork, Your Highness. Especially with all the nasty things she confessed to in her trials,"

"I'm aware. It's just tiring. And you don't have to 'Your Highness' me anymore."

Taking a step forward, Ruby waved a hand at the two. "Hi Weiss! And Yang!"

The other two girls turned to her, and Ruby saw all the signs of stress and tension melt off Weiss' face. She returned Ruby's greeting by walking over and pulling her into a quick hug. "You're here early,"

"Dad and I finished all the renovations quicker than we thought!" Ruby grinned, "our new room still smells like wood and paint, but that'll go away in time."

"You still okay on giving all this up?" Yang asked, shifting her weight to one leg.

Weiss nodded. She kept her eyes on Ruby as she answered. "Positive. No matter how many trials get passed, there's always going to be some group or another that still thinks I'm guilty. Better to live a happy life with the one I love than living in fear and anxiety."

It was Ruby's turn to pull Weiss into a hug, albeit this one filled with more energy. She was practically swinging her around like a doll. "Aww, Weiss, you're always so sweet!"

"R-Ruby you dolt! Knock it off!"

Ruby stopped, releasing Weiss with a big goofy grin on her face. Weiss just huffed and rolled her eyes.

Ruby simply stuck her tongue out at her in response. She got another eye roll.

"Hate to kill this happy moment, but I'm gonna need you to stick around until we get a couple more reports done," Yang interrupted. Counting on one hand she began to give a list. "Emeralds trials, her sentencing, your willful resignation from the throne and Whitley's coronation after you leave." She paused for a second before clapping her hands together and digging into a pouch at her side. "Oh, and this too."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, accepting the piece of parchment Yang handed her. "What's this?"

"It's a request for a technically unofficial investigation,"

Weiss read the letter in her hand over and over again, her brow furrowing more with every letter in every word. She looked up at Yang, who had handed it to her with a raised eyebrow. "...Menagerie? That's on the other edge of the world. Why on Remnant would you want to go there?"

Yang grinned. "Reports from Mistral say there's a real beast tucked away in some ancient castle in the less habitable part of that island country. It kidnapped some famous inventor or something. I'm gonna go check it out."

"So why are you handing this to me?"

"Because you're still the princess and can approve my trip there."

Ruby, who had been silently pouting for the whole exchange, spoke up. "You're gonna miss it..."

Yang playfully ruffled her hair. "Don't you worry, Ruby. I'll only be gone a month or two. There's no way I'd miss my sisters wedding!"

Ruby gently swatted away Yang's hand. "Just be careful out there, okay?"

Yang laughed. "I know how to take care of myself. Besides, what's the worst that can happen to me?" She took a couple steps back and gave the royal salute to the couple. "I won't be gone long. Two or three months at best. I'll go deliver all these reports from today to where they gotta go," she turned and headed down the corridor, calling back over her shoulder, "And I want to hear about a niece or nephew on the way when I get back from Menagerie!"

Ruby stood straight up, her face now on fire. She didn't even hear whatever Weiss yelled at Yang before the blonde disappeared around the corner. The two stood in silence, the seconds dragging along like hours. Ruby broke the silence by laughing nervously, reaching up to rub the back of her head.

"I mean… I like the idea, eventually..." she admitted, trailing off her sentence with a nervous laugh.

Weiss, sporting a face so red Ruby wondered if it indeed matched the color of her cloak, gave her a small half smile. "What am I getting myself into?"


End file.
